Studies on calciferol metabolism. Regulation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1-hydroxylase in isolated renal mitochondria

Parathyroid-like regulation of parathyroid-hormone-related protein release and cytoplasmic calcium in cytotrophoblast cells of human placenta

Immunohistochemical staining of human placenta revealed intense reactivity for amino terminal and midregional parathyroid-hormone-related protein (PTHrp) in the cytotrophoblast cells and weaker staining in the syncytiotrophoblasts. The cytotrophoblasts also displayed conspicuous surface staining with the monoclonal antibodies E11 and G11, which recognize a Ca2+ receptor mechanism regulating hormone release of parathyroid cells. Cytotrophoblasts enriched on Percoll gradients or by linking surface-bound E11 to magnetic beads revealed biphasic elevation of cytoplasmic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) upon a stepwise rise of external Ca2+ from 0.5 to 3.0 mM, with a half-maximal effect at 1.75 mM. Individual cytotrophoblasts identified by their E11 reactivity disclosed a temporary increase of [Ca2+]i upon elevation of external Mg2+, while Mn2+ triggered both a [Ca2+]i transient and an influx of itself. These effects were efficiently blocked by the G11 antibody. Depolarization with K+ or addition of the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel blocker verapamil had only marginal effects on [Ca2+]i. Raised extracellular calcium inhibited release of PTHrp from the cells, and this inhibition was blocked by the G11 antibody. The virtually parathyroid-identical Ca2+ regulation of [Ca2+]i may mediate feedback control of PTHrp release from the cytotrophoblasts and thereby participate in the regulation of placental Ca2+ transport.

Effect of three A-ring analogs of 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on 25-OH-D3-1 alpha-hydroxylase in isolated mitochondria and on 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 metabolism in cultured kidney cells

Three A-ring analogs of 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3)--2-nor-1,3-seco-1,25(OH)2D3 (2-nor analog), 2-oxa-3-deoxy-25-OH-D3 (2-oxa analog), and A-homo-3-deoxy-3,3-dimethyl-2,4-dioxa-25-OH-D3 (A-homo analog)--were tested for their ability to inhibit 25-OH-D3-1 alpha-hydroxylase (1 alpha-hydroxylase) in isolated mitochondria and to alter 25-OH-D3 metabolism in cultured chick kidney cells. The 2-nor and 2-oxa analogs were relatively potent (Kis of 60 and 30 nM, respectively, compared with 170 nM for 1,25(OH)2D3), whereas the A-homo analog was completely ineffective in inhibiting 1 alpha-hydroxylase activity. In contrast, all three analogs were able to repress 1 alpha-hydroxylase and induce 24-hydroxylase activity in cultured chick kidney cells, suggesting that this process is not one of direct action in the mitochondria, but is more likely to be a receptor-mediated one.

Blood Ca2+ modulates responsiveness of renal 25(OH)D3-1 alpha-hydroxylase to PTH in rats

To clarify whether extracellular Ca2+ modulates renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3]-1 alpha-hydroxylase, thyroparathyroidectomized rats were infused with 15 mM CaCl2, 20 mM EGTA, and/or 2.5 U/h parathyroid hormone (PTH), and blood Ca2+, serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D], and renal 1 alpha-hydroxylase activity were determined. Rats with CaCl2, EGTA, or PTH infusion (group 1) exhibited low blood Ca2+, serum 1,25(OH)2D, and 1 alpha-hydroxylase activities. Infusion of CaCl2 alone (group 2) caused a significant increase in blood Ca2+ and a reduction in serum 1,25(OH)2D and 1 alpha-hydroxylase compared with group 1. Administration of PTH alone (group 3) markedly elevated blood Ca2+, serum 1,25(OH)2D, and 1 alpha-hydroxylase activity. When EGTA was infused along with PTH (group 4), blood Ca2+ was significantly reduced compared with group 3, and serum 1,25(OH)2D and renal 1 alpha-hydroxylase were further elevated. In contrast, when CaCl2 was infused with PTH (group 5), blood Ca2+ was higher than that in group 3, and serum 1,25(OH)2D and 1 alpha-hydroxylase activities were significantly reduced compared with group 3. No significant difference in serum inorganic phosphate or urinary cAMP excretion was observed by CaCl2 or EGTA infusion in both PTH-treated and nontreated rats. These results demonstrate that extracellular Ca2+ modulates the responsiveness of renal 1 alpha-hydroxylase to PTH as well as the base-line activity of the enzyme in the absence of PTH. These effects of extracellular Ca2+ on renal 1 alpha-hydroxylase may serve to offer an efficient way of regulating 1,25(OH)2D production and serum 1,25(OH)2D concentration by altering the responsiveness of 1 alpha-hydroxylase to PTH and possibly other stimulations depending on the demand for Ca2+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Opposing actions of methylxanthines and dibutyryl cyclic AMP on 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 production and calcium fluxes in isolated chick renal tubules

In contrast to dibutyryl cyclic AMP, the methylxanthine phosphodiesterase inhibitors theophylline and caffeine were found to inhibit the conversion of 25 hydroxyvitamin D3 to 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 in isolated renal tubules from vitamin D deficient chicks. This inhibition occurred at concentrations of methylxanthines which were shown to increase renal tubule cyclic AMP levels. No effect of theophylline or caffeine on 25 hydroxyvitamin D3 metabolism in isolated chick renal mitochondria was detected. Because of a demonstrated inhibitory action of calcium (10 and 20 mumol/l) on renal mitochondrial conversion of 25 hydroxyvitamin D3 to 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3, the effect of theophylline and dibutyryl cyclic AMP on cellular calcium-45 efflux and total renal tubule calcium content was estimated. Theophylline 10 mmol/l was found to inhibit renal tubular calcium efflux and to increase total cellular calcium content, while dibutyryl cyclic AMP 1 mmol/l had the reverse effect on both parameters. Divergent actions of the methylxanthines and dibutyryl cyclic AMP on the formation of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 and renal tubule calcium efflux and content support the hypothesis that intracellular calcium is an important regulator of renal vitamin D metabolism. The results indicate that observed actions of methylxanthines cannot always be ascribed to cyclic AMP accumulation.

Enhancement of the production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, in chick kidney mitochondria by an extramitochondrial factor

The 1 alpha-hydroxylation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-hydroxycholecalciferol) by isolated chick kidney mitochondria is stimulated 1.5-4.0-fold by a factor or factors in postmitochondrial and postmicrosomal supernatants of homogenates of chick kidney. The stimulatory factor is heat-stable, dialyzable, and trypsin-sensitive and does not appear in lipid extracts of cytosol. The stimulatory effect of cytosol was quantitatively similar over a 4-fold range in substrate concentration and a 5-fold enzyme concentration range. Cytosol did not appear to increase substrate availability to the mitochondria as determined by measurement of substrate and products in mitochondria following incubation with [3H]25-hydroxyvitamin D3. The stimulatory activity is equivalent in cytosolic fractions from kidneys of vitamin D-deficient and replete chicks and is also present in brain and liver tissue. These latter observations suggest that the stimulatory factor (or factors) is not involved in the regulation of the 25-hydroxy-vitamin-D3-1-hydroxylase.

The 1 alpha-hydroxylation of 24-hydroxyvitamin D3 by chick kidney homogenates

Tritium-labeled 24(R)-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 24(S)-hydroxyvitamin D3 were chemically synthesized and the 1 alpha-hydroxylation of these compounds by chick kidney homogenates was studied. A marked stereospecific preference with regard to the orientation of the hydroxyl functionality on carbon-24 was noted: while the 24(R)-epimer could be 1 alpha-hydroxylated in readily detectable amounts, the 24(S)-epimer was not hydroxylated. Thus, 1.2 micrograms of 1 alpha,24(R)-dihydroxyvitamin D3 was isolated and its structure confirmed by mass spectrometry. The relative rate of 1 alpha-hydroxylation of 125 nM substrate tritiated 24(R)-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (the presumed natural substrate for the renal 1 alpha-hydroxylase) was 1:6.7.

Studies of the chick renal mitochondrial 25-hydroxyvitamin D-3 24-hydroxylase

The vitamin D metabolite, 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3, is made from 25-hydroxyvitamin D-3 by an enzyme (25-hydroxyvitamin D-3 24-hydroxylase) located in the renal mitochondria of vitamin D and calcium-replete chicks. The apparent Km for 25-hydroxyvitamin D-3 for this reaction was found to be 3 x 10(-7) M, although simple Michaelis-Menten kinetics were not observed at the higher substrate concentrations. Enzymatic activity was reduced by the mitochondrial metabolic inhibitors, antimycin A and dinitrophenol, as well as the inhibitors of mixed function oxidases, 2,4-dichloro-6-phenylphenoxyethylamine, 2-diethylaminoethyl-2,2-diphenylvalerate and metyrapone. Increasing the calcium concentration from 0 to 1 x 10(-5) M or the potassium concentration from 0 to 50 mM stimulated enzymatic activity 4- to 8-fold. Increasing the phosphate or acetate concentration from 0 to 50 mM stimulated enzymatic activity 6-fold. Raising the CO2/HCO3(-) content from 0/0 to 10%/10 mM stimulated enzymatic activity 5-fold. The effects of the cations were additive to those of the anions except in the presence of 50 mM phosphate or acetate. The effect of ions on 24,25-hydroxyvitamin D-3 production by renal mitochondria from vitamin D-replete chicks resembles the effect of these ions on production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 by renal mitochondria from vitamin D-deficient chicks, suggesting that the same mechanisms may be utilized.

The effect of dietary calcium on the activity of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol-1-hydroxylase and Ca absorption in vitamin D-replete chicks

1. As most of the studies on the regulation of renal 25-hydroxycholecalciferol-1-hydroxylase (25-HCC-1-hydroxylase) activity have been done in marginally-vitamin D-deficient animals and as it is known that vitamin D administration suppresses the specific activity of the 25-HCC-1-hydroxylase, it was decided to study the effect of dietary calcium on the activity of 25-HCC-1-hydroxylase and on Ca absorption in vitamin D-replete chicks. 2. Chicks, 10 d old, were given diets differing in their Ca contents (65 nmol cholecalciferol/kg diet) for 10 d and the activity of 25-HCC-1-hydroxylase in kidney homogenates, Ca absorption from the duodenum, Ca-binding protein (CaBP) activity in the duodenal mucosa and plasma Ca and phosphate concentrations were all determined. 3. The CaBP activity and the efficiency of Ca absorption both decreased with increasing dietary intake of Ca. Ca absorption and CaBP activity were significantly correlated (r 0-995, P less than 0-01). 4. The activity of 25-HCC-1-hydroxylase decreased as the dietary level of Ca increased and was significantly correlated with Ca absorption (r 0-900, P less than 0-05). The plasma Ca concentration and the activity of 25-HCC-1-hydroxylase were inversely related (r-0-940, P less than 0-01). 5. It is concluded that in the vitamin D-replete chick the efficiency of duodenal Ca absorption is regulated by the renal 25-HCC-1-hydroxylase activity via production of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and CaBP synthesis.